A feasibility study of introducing chin straps of safety helmets as a statutory requirement in Hong Kong construction industry Ivan W.H. Fung a,⇑ , Y.Y. Lee a , Vivian W.Y. Tam b , H.W. Fung a a Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong b University of Western Sydney, School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics, Australia article info Article history: Received 19 June 2012 Received in revised form 7 November 2013 Accepted 17 December 2013 Available online 23 January 2014 Keywords: Safety helmet Chin strap Construction safety abstract Safety helmets contribute to the protection of head and wearing it is a statutory requirement in Hong Kong construction sites. However, there is a lack of secured system between the helmet and head which caused rolling off of helmet in few circumstances. A chin strap has a design function that secures the head and helmet in order to prevent it from rolling off. This paper aims to identify the current usage, safety performance and negative impact of using chin straps on safety helmets in the Hong Kong construction industry. It is found that effectively using chin straps can secure the helmets onto head and prevent it from rolling off. However, retractable chin straps brought greater discomfort to the workers than adjust- able chin straps. It is also figured out when workers did not wear chin straps, there are few circumstances that will cause the helmets to roll off such as heading up/down, windy condition and slight impact. The most significant finding is that there is inadequate knowledge and cognition for workers who did not wear chin straps. It is thus necessary for the relevant government departments to revise the statutory requirements on safety helmets. Construction companies should also encourage the workers to use chin straps so that the safety performance of construction industry can be improved. Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction There are no statutory requirements in Hong Kong relating to the use of chin straps on safety helmets. In 2004, Labour Depart- ment issued a guideline called ‘‘Guidance Notes on the Selection, Use and Maintenance of Safety Helmets” which aims to provide information for employers and employees to control or manage workplaces if there are foreseeable risks of head injury (Labour Department, 2004). It does provide information on safety helmet accessories such as chin straps or faceshields. However, functions and descriptions of these accessories are not provided. While the general design of helmets is described in detail with illustrations only mentioning chin straps as ‘‘a strap under the chin to further secure the helmet to the head of the user”, a chin strap is not in- cluded in the accessories but only including with a picture. Readers may not understand the functions of these accessories. In the latter part of the guideline, it was mentioned that a chin strap is recom- mended to be used and provided under windy conditions, repeated waist bending or constantly looking upwards. This is in fact sug- gested the possible causes of dropping off safety helmets. However, it did not mention that wearing chin straps may prevent the hel- mets from dropping off. Before the publication of the guideline, the use of chin straps is not paid much attention by the Labour Department. This can be proved by promotion clips/television announcements produced by Labour Department on or before 2004, where actors acting as workers and supervisors did not wear chin straps but only safety helmets. However, after the guideline was issued, television announcements by Labour Department began to pay attention to chin straps. Workers in television announcements did wear chin straps disregard their positions and occupations in construction industry since 2005. This minor change is not apparent and specif- ically mentioned in the clips but it shows that chin straps has its secure functions and should be wore in every circumstance. 1.1. Aims and objectives This research aims to improve safety performance of construc- tion industry by adjusting the current PPE standards and require- ments. There are three specific objectives included in this research. 1. To identify characteristics of fatal accidents in Hong Kong construction. 2. To examine the use and effectiveness of chin straps of safety helmets. 3. To recommend the improvement on statutory requirements of PPE and the design of safety helmets for construction workers. 0925-7535/$ - see front matter Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2013.12.014 ⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +852 34427036; fax: +852 34420427. E-mail address: ivan.fung@cityu.edu.hk (I.W.H. Fung). Safety Science 65 (2014) 70–78 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Safety Science journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ssci